SOU NOTES

ASHLAND – The Southern Oregon men's basketball team will look to continue its four-game winning streak this weekend when the Raiders play a pair of Cascade Collegiate Conference road games against No. 23 Eastern Oregon and College of Idaho.

Southern Oregon, 9-4 overall and 2-0 in conference play this season, will face Eastern Oregon on Friday at 7:30 p.m. in La Grande before traveling to Caldwell, Idaho, for Saturday's contest against College of Idaho, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. (M.S.T.)

The Raiders have outscored opponents 1,000-947 this season while shooting 49.4 percent from the field. Eric Thompson (Roseburg, Ore./Roseburg) is averaging 20.4 points per game to lead the team and rank 12th in the nation, and he also leads the team in rebounding with an average of 7.5 boards per game. Jordan Highland (Tualatin, Ore./Tualatin) ranks 13th in the nation with a 61.9 shooting percentage and is averaging 12.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.

The Raiders will face a tough challenge in an Eastern Oregon team that is averaging 85.2 points per game. The Mountaineers lead the NAIA in offensive rebounding (17.7 per game) and rebounding margin (+12.7) while ranking second in total rebounding (44.4). Travares Peterson and Trent Roos are each averaging 14.5 points per game, with Jamar Johnson adding 10.5 points per contest. Ervin Felder's 8.3 rebounds per contest lead the team.

“Eastern Oregon has been one of the best teams in our league the last four or five years, and I believe they're probably the most talented team in the league this year,” SOU head coach Brian McDermott said. “They've got scorers all over the place. You can't really key in on one guy, so our work is cut out for us there.”

Southern Oregon has faced Eastern Oregon 172 times in a series that stretches to the 1930-31 season. During that stretch, the Raiders have won 92 games against the Mountaineers, SOU's second-highest win total against any opponent (102 against Western Oregon). Eastern Oregon has held the advantage in the past five seasons, winning 11 of the last 12 meetings between the teams, including the last seven.

Saturday's game will bring a matchup against a College of Idaho team that is 5-8 overall and 0-2 in the CCC. The Coyotes are averaging 68.7 points per game and have outscored opponents by an average of 4.8 points per contest. Matt Ballenger leads the team in scoring, averaging 17.6 points per game, and his 43 assists and 28 steals are both team-high marks. Rick Tolman averages 5.4 rebounds per game to lead the Yotes.

“They play really hard defensively, a very good man-to-man team, and they throw in some matchup zone stuff that is also difficult to attack,” McDermott said of the Yotes. “(Ballenger is) maybe the best shooter in the league. We'll have to try to slow him down a little bit.”

The Raiders have struggled historically against the Coyotes, with an 18-42 all-time record against College of Idaho. Southern Oregon won seven in a row against C of I between the 2003-04 and '05-06 seasons, but since then the Yotes have won 10 of the last 11 meetings.

“It's a trip that's generally a pretty tough one,” McDermott said. “It's really good that we're able to take this during a time when we're off classes and off school and we're a little more rested.”